Jim Denomie: Paintings

Known for his Fauvist style, Jim Denomie offers stark views of the human form with a van Gogh–like energy. He often mixes the paints right on the canvas, giving the works a bold texture. He calls his work metaphorical surrealism and had a portrait-a-day-for-a-year streak to increase his productivity. Denomie often takes on historical subjects as well as current events, such as the protests near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Blue lips, horned heads and stark shadows dominate the imagery, as his people seem disfigured by the medium with which he chooses to represent them: oil.